A. Field of Invention
This invention relates to mass multimedia messaging by a service provider. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and system for mass multimedia messaging, including adaptation and handling of a mass multimedia message, and mass multimedia message notification in a system having a service provider and a plurality of subscriber communication terminals supported by the service provider, wherein at least some of the subscriber communication terminals have different messaging capabilities and different message format requirements.
B. Description of Related Art
Both wireless and wireline telecommunications systems have evolved from voice only systems to systems having text and rich multimedia messaging capabilities. This has created opportunities for mass messaging, such as promotional and bulk messaging. Such mass messaging capabilities currently exist using Short Message Service (SMS) technology, allowing content providers to forward a single short text message and a list of subscriber addresses to a service provider for mass text messaging to all subscriber addresses on the list. Multimedia messaging, such as Multimedia Message Service (MMS) and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Push, expand messaging capabilities to include audio, image and video content, but there is no equivalent mass messaging service available for multimedia messages.
One reason that multimedia messages are currently handled individually is that there is a wide range of capabilities among various types of subscriber communication terminals. For instance, some communication terminals have only SMS capabilities. Other communication terminals are capable of receiving WAP Push messages, and then viewing multimedia content using a microbrowser application program contained in the communication terminal software. Still other communication terminals have MMS capabilities and are able to receive and show (or play) multimedia objects on the mobile terminal. However, format requirements, such as hardware screen sizes and audio, image and video file formats, vary even between multimedia capable terminals. Thus, presently, the multimedia messaging system must adapt the content of each message for the capabilities of the communication terminal to which it is directed (known as “adaptation-on-the-fly”). This individual message content adaptation is particularly inefficient in a mass multimedia messaging scenario, as many adapted messages will be mere duplicates of other messages already adapted for communication terminals having the same or very similar capabilities. This unnecessary duplication of adapted message utilizes processing resources and requires additional storage capacities of the messaging system. Thus, there is a need for a more efficient system and method for mass multimedia messaging that provides content adaptation without unnecessary duplication of the adapted messages.
Such a system and method will also require a new method of providing message notification to the subscriber communication terminals. Thus, there is also a need for a system and method for mass multimedia message notification to subscriber terminals.
Additionally, once a multimedia message is delivered to the service provider, the content provider may wish to replace the message or parameters associated with the message, such as a promotion expiration date or an updated subscriber address list. Currently, the content provider has only a limited ability to replace the message or certain parameters of the message, and content adaptation for the replaced message must be done “on-the-fly”. Thus, there is yet a further need for a system and method for mass multimedia messaging that provides for message and message parameter replacement, with efficient content adaptation as discussed above.
Further, content providers desire the ability to track how many subscribers have retrieved a mass multimedia message. As individually handled messages, tracking delivery requires tracking each message individually. Service providers desire an easier way to track how many subscribers have retrieved a mass message. Thus, there is still further a need for a system and method for mass multimedia messaging that provides tracking of how many subscribers have retrieved a mass message without having to track the messages individually.